Former Portland mayor facing eviction from Congress Street apartment

Jan. 25—Former Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling is facing eviction from his Congress Street apartment as the building's landlord goes before the city's Rent Board over complaints from tenants about unfair rent hikes.

Strimling, who advocated for more tenant protection during his time as mayor, says the eviction is retaliation for forming a tenants union at the Trelawny Building to address concerns with landlord Geoffrey Rice about increases that violated a new city ordinance. The Trelawny Tenants Union has filed complaints with the city about rent increases that will be discussed Wednesday night by the Rent Board.

Strimling and his attorney, Scott Dolan, allege that Rice started eviction proceedings after the union was formed. Under Maine law, a landlord cannot evict a tenant "in retaliation for the tenant's membership in an organization concerned with landlord-tenant relationships."

"This is a clear case of retaliation in an attempt to break the Trelawny Tenants Union. Thanks to TTU, Mr. Rice has been forced to retract and refund illegal rent increases, fix fire hazards, release public documents and inform tenants of their rights under the law," Strimling said in a statement. "We will take this as far as need be to protect the rights of all tenants to organize and fight for better living conditions."

According to court records, Strimling was first notified last May that his month-to-month lease would not be continued. He was served on Aug. 31 with a 90-day written Notice of Termination and Notice to Quit terminating his lease when it expired on Dec. 1. Strimling refused to leave the building after Dec. 1, according to a complaint filed in Maine District Court by the owner of the building, Trelawny 657 LLC.

In a response to that complaint, Strimling said the building owner is engaging in a retaliatory eviction in violation of the First Amendment and the Maine State Constitution because Strimling is the founding member and leader of the Trelawny Tenants Union and had complained to city officials about rent increases that violated the rent control ordinance.

Strimling has rented an apartment in the Trelawny Building for nearly six years. After he received the notices from his landlord, he continued to pay his monthly rent, but the December rent check was returned with a notice from the landlord's attorney saying it was rejected, Dolan said.

Dolan said his review of court documents shows that Rice has given notices to quit or evict to 12 people in the past two years. Some were for nonpayment of rent or for lease violations, but Strimling appears to be the only tenant to have a no-cause eviction move forward, he said.

"When this case goes to trial, we expect the judge will find that Mr. Rice is trying to evict Mr. Strimling in unlawful retaliation for his involvement in the Trelawny Tenants Union and for filing complaints to the city. That is, Mr. Rice is trying to break the Trelawny Tenants Union and intimidate its members by attempting to evict former Mayor Ethan Strimling," Dolan said in a statement.

The trial is scheduled for Feb. 10 in Portland District Court.

David Chamberlain, the attorney for Rice, did not immediately respond to a phone call from reporter Tuesday morning.

Strimling, who was mayor from 2015 to 2019, backed the rent control ordinance passed by referendum in 2020. The ordinance limited most rent increases to the rate of inflation, increased the amount of notice a landlord must provide when not renewing an at-will tenancy, and created a Rent Board to enforce the ordinance and award additional rent increases when appropriate.

The ordinance was upheld by a Superior Court justice after a challenge by local landlords who sued the city and argued that it was vague, conflicted with state and federal statutes, and was an improper use of the citizen initiative process.

After the Trelawny Tenants Union filed letters and complaints with city officials in 2021, Rice had to refund and retract illegal rent increases, release public documents and inform tenants of their rights, according to Dolan.

The city's Permitting and Inspections Department on Aug. 10 issued a notice of violation and order to correct to Rice and 657 Congress LLC. The notice said that proposed rent increases violated city code, tenants had not been provided with a copy of the Rental Housing Rights Document in violation of city code and that Rice had not completed registration of units at the property as required.

The notice also said Rice had agreed to notify tenants that planned rent increases for 2021 were rescinded and that any money received from those increases would be refunded to tenants.

A separate notice of violation and order to correct was issued on Sept. 1 to 657 Congress LLC after inspectors determined the rental units still had not been properly registered with the city.

The Rent Board is scheduled to hold its meeting remotely Wednesday, with an executive session to consult with a city attorney regarding a rent increase appeal for 655 Congress St. The board is scheduled to discuss the appeal after the executive session.

This story will be updated.